AC/DC-Powerage Song by Song Thread

The Bon era with the proper Australia track lists, b-sides and unreleased material.

And a remix of the complete 1978 Glasgow set.

 

if I had to show someone who’d never heard of AC/DC, one live song to blow them away.... I’d pick the Apollo version of “Riff Raff” ^^

the Phil Rudd drumming is just a relentless sledgehammer. he never lets up! and those riffs..... they don’t come any better

 

It's hard to explain, but there is something about Powerage that is a little left of center in terms of AC/DC's records, and maybe that's why it's my favorite.

Certainly, I think What's Next To The Moon has perhaps the most unusual lyric that Bon ever wrote - it's malevolent and has a non-sensical stream of consciousness at the same time.

 

I don't really remember when I first heard it. I got into AC/DC through Back in Black which I got when it came out, and then my first Bon album was the US Dirty Deeds and I think my second was '74 Jailbreak. So some time after that. I don't know. A long time ago but not when it was brand new.

First reaction was that it totally ruled and I still think the same. As for this song I love it. I know the OP asked for more detailed opinions than 'it kicks ass' but what else can really be said. It just kicks ass.

 

There's something about it that's kind of "off". I feel like I'm in the minority when I say I really LOVE "What's Next to the Moon". Sleazy, and it's got good melody, it kicks your ass in a laid back type of way.

 

It's right up there with Riff Raff for being my favorite song. As Bowie would say, "You're not alone!"

 

That was the song that did it for me - track 1 of the LP of If You Want Blood. Immediately converted.

 

btw, I never knew that RnR Damnation was added with hit/radio specifically in mind. It's is in pretty good company in terms of a song added for commercial reasons and/or to make the album a bit longer.

Just off the top of my head:

Little Red Corvette
Howling at the Moon
Paranoid
Don't Do Me Like That
Dancing in the Dark

Not that anyone is slamming it, but the motivation doesn't bother me because it's still very much in the band's wheelhouse.
As opposed to, say, The Flame - blech.

 

Hey guys let's hold off on naming favorites until we get to those songs!

 

I love Powerage! AC/DC's top 3 for me, and still climbing... Sadly this was to be their last one produced by George Young and Harry Vanda for a very long time. The sound they achieved here is just pure rock and roll perfection to my ears.

I've known it for about 35 years now, still a great, fresh listen every time. A total classic.

 

The engineer on Powerage was a guy named Mark Opitz, who worked on several INXS records as well. Some of you might enjoy this interview:

Interview Mark Opitz for H2ACDC.COM (september 2011) | Highway To ACDC : le site francophone sur AC/DC

 

That's hilarious...my four year old is almost the exact opposite, loves jazz (he seems to really like muted trumpet for some reason) and the Dan but his verdict on AC/DC was "Too loud!"

I'll start off by saying Powerage is my favourite AC/DC album- like Let There Be Rock it's raw and in your face. I'm glad they hadn't gotten together with Mutt Lange yet when they did this one. As I recall Powerage was one of the last Accadacca records I heard...a bit more obscure, a little harder to find. Glad I found it though

"Rock And Roll Damnation" is a great opener (I originally had Powerage on cassette where "Rock And Roll Damnation" and "Sin City" were flipflopped around so that "Sin City" was the album opener)- some great lyrics here..."You say that you want respect...honey, for what?" Bon's delivery makes it that much better, as it often did.

 

It's not that easy.
Down Payment Blues

 

Hah! Four is a hilarious age. I have a voice memo recording of my son screaming in pain while listening to Gaucho, and insisting that I put on Social Distortion immediately. He later asked me for "DC/DC."

Rock N Roll Damnation isn't the most widely recognized AC/DC anthem, but it is sheer perfection. Powerage has always been my all-time favorite AC/DC album - it was the first one I owned. Highway To Hell was fantastic as well, but Powerage has held up better over the years, at least for me.

 

Powerage has been my favorite since i heard it. I heard it late. And thought wow all these cool songs i've never heard. Great songwriting on this one to me. Just a great record.

Rock n Roll Damnation is a real cool song. Love the little fill type riff of the song. Just a great song among a great record.

 

All the UK and European Atlantic vinyl issues included Cold Hearted Man. It's always annoyed me that they left it off the CD.

My vinyl copy of Powerage is a German 80s pressing that includes Rock 'n' Roll Damnation and Cold Hearted Man. Definitive!

My Dad gave me a 45 of Rock 'n' Roll Damnation with Sin City on the B-Side when I was very young, around 8 years old. My first AC/DC record. What a start! I still have it and still play it. The thing rocks like a bastard! It rolls too.

So, as it's my first AC/DC record and it still gets played over 35 years later without me being even slightly tired of it, Rock 'n' Roll Damnation is for me a definite 10/10. My 45 still sounds great too, plenty of plays left in that one.

 

...a little bit out of place, but wouldn't it be nice to get the 1974 7" single with Dave Evans reissued ???

 

That would be kind of cool, certainly for completions sake.

 

I bought this on vinyl when it came out. What a great opener. I also had friends that bought it on 8 track. Great album.

 

I guess this thread is as good as any to discuss this a bit as I listen to "Down Payment Blues".

Does anyone else remember an article where it discussed how Malcolm would record for AC/DC? As I recall, he used a small amplifier that was set only at mid volume and used very little gain on his guitar. Hence that's why he has kind of a dry sound to his playing. Angus describes his playing as quite percussive and having a ton of groove to what he did. He was far more than just a regular player. He was the motor that moved the band. Such a great player and really underrated in terms of his ability and overlooked in terms of great songwriting chops. Easily, one of my top 5 musicians of all time (and this was my position way before he died). I've always admired great rhythm players and he'll always be the best in my opinion.

 

Oh yeah, I remember reading about that, and I can testify you calling him one of your favorites long before he died.
Yeah, a genius at rhythm guitar, and the glue of the band. He was, is, and always will be AC/DC as far as I'm concerned.

 

Powerage is their best album IMO (and Keth Richard's too!)

 

Down Payment Blues:

And now Track Two, where we get a much clearer picture of what this album will be like. Cliff Williams has mentioned that this is one of his favorite songs to play live, as he can really take in the whole thing.
The track kicks off with a riff played by Angus, before the band slows down at :18, highlighting the rhythm section and how solid they are, just a really tight unit. Although these songs are simple, in some ways that makes it harder, because if you're relying on bare essentials, your material has to be good, and these guys certainly deliver. At 1:07, Bon starts singing, and he just excellently conveys that sense of poverty and struggle. He wants to catch that fortune, but it keeps evading him. I love the line "I've got the Cadillac, but I can't afford the gasoline", it really portrays a guy who may have some level of notoriety, but not the wealth to show for it, and it screws with him as he sees this real eye candy he badly wants. And you know Bon means it, especially because if you read up on his life, he was a guy that had seen it all, done it all, by far the most life experience out of the main three. This guy was a limo driver, had been in two or three other bands before, done time behind bars, survived motorcycle wrecks, drank, drugged, and shagged into oblivion, he was a hard living hellraiser. And I must mention Angus' solo at 2:20, has a real fire to it. And I love the way it slows down into a bluesy thing at the end.
This is a standout track, fantastic, we are in for a treat.

 

Live in 1978:

 

1996 with Brian: